' SALAHUDDIN AHMED, CHAIRMAN.-This petition came up for hearing once before on 30th July, 1980.
On the prayer of the learned Advocate for the petitioner, the matter was adjourned till today.
2. This day again an application was made for adjournment although petitioner, Mr. Iqbal Ahmad Qureshi was himself present alongwith another Advocate-Mr. Feroze Shah. The prayer for adjournment was refused and we proceeded to hear Mr. Iqbal Ahmad Qureshi.
3. The petitioner has challenged certain provisions of West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control Act, 1963 (Act III of 1963), which have put a ban on the slaughter of useful animals, and have regulated the slaughter of other animals. Section 2 (k) defines "useful animal" as follows :-
(i) a female sheep below the age of one year and six months ;
(ii) a female sheep of the age exceeding one year and six months but not exceeding for years, which is pregnant or fit for breeding purposes ;
(iii) any female animal, other than sheep, below three years of age ;
(iv) any famale animal, other than sheep, which is pregnant or in milk or fit for breeding purposes ;
(v) any female animal, other than sheep, between three to ten years of age, which is fit for draught purposes ; ' but does not include any such animal which on account of culling, injury, illness or other cause, is certified in writing by a Veterinary Officer or any Gazetted Officer of the Animal Husbandry Department as not likely to live or as no longer a useful animal for the purposes of this Act ; Section 3 of the Act States :
(1) No person shall slaughter a useful animal.
(2) No person shall slaughter an animal-
(a) unless such animal has been approved as hereinafter provided, for slaughter ; and
(b) except in a slaughter house and during the hours prescribed therefore : Provided that nothing contained in this section shall apply to the slaughter of any animal-
(1) by a Muslim on the day of Eid-ni-Azha and the two succeeding days ; Or
(Si) which on account of illness, injury or other cause is likely to die before it can be presented to the officer-in-charge of slaughter-house.
' Obviously the law is designed to preserve the cattle wealth of the country for the benefit of the people and to ensure that only suitable animals are slaughtered at suitable places. The sacrifice on ceremonial occasions has been exempted, Some verses of the Holy Quran and some Ahadis have been placed before us, and it is claimed that they support the petition. All of them speak about A making "Halal" certain meat for the purpose of eating. Not a single Injunction of Islam has been played to show that any provision of the Act is against Injunctions of Islam.
' There is no substance in the petition, and it is accordingly dismissed.